The main objective of this department is to investigate and analyze the political and military aspects of current or anticipated events that may affect the UAE national security in the local, regional and international arenas, to make recommendations and conduct prospective studies and research on ways to deal with these challenges.

In order to achieve this aim, the department performs the following:

UAE Studies

Studies and analyzes domestic political and security issues directly affecting national security and decisionmaking in the UAE and is also involved in the process of developing a comprehensive research plan covering crucial UAE issues.

GCC Studies

Studies and analyzes Gulf issues closely linked to UAE national security and decisionmaking and prepares long-term strategic reports on the Gulf region.

Arab Studies

Studies and analyzes Arab political and security issues in general and Middle East issues important to UAE national security in particular and prepares analytical reports that assist the decision making process in the UAE on Arab issues.

Asian Studies

Pursues and analyzes Asian political and security issues that are closely related to UAE national security.

European North American Studies Studies

Monitors European and North American political and security issues that have a direct impact on UAE national security and prepares studies and reports on issues related to European and North American countries.

Military Studies

Investigates and analyzes military and security crises that have either direct or indirect impact on UAE national security, in order to guide the country‎s strategic military planning. It also prepares reports, studies, and research on military issues in general.

The mission of this department is to conduct economic and social research leading to recommendations to formulate future UAE economic policies and study and analyze economic changes that may influence UAE security and stability at the local, regional and international levels. The department designs plans and programs intended to preserve the high standard of living for citizens, as well as UAE stability and economic growth.

The department undertakes studies in these areas:

Economic Studies

Studies general economic policies in the UAE and suggests mechanisms for their development.

Studies the ways that the UAE can minimize its dependence on oil as a main source of GDP and the role for the private sector in this strategy.

Identifies key strengths and weaknesses of the UAE economy.

Energy Studies

Follows up on developments in sectors such as oil, natural gas and other energy sources.

Studies fluctuations affecting the production and prices of oil and gas in the UAE economy.

Devises means to reduce negative impacts on the UAE economy and studies the optimal methods to exploit oil and gas surpluses.

The mission of this department is to create comprehensive databases, by employing the latest information and communications technology to effectively support strategic planning in all its aspects for the benefit of researchers and decision makers in the UAE.

The Department conducts a number of tasks such as collecting information related to the field of ECSSR activities, collating and documenting it, and compiling it by using scientific methods. It also builds general, specialized and statistical databases in areas relevant to the work of the ECSSR. It meticulously updates the databases on a regular basis. In addition, it frequently issues information reports to serve researchers and decision-makers. It also gauges public opinion of citizens and residents in the country on various issues of social, economic, political and cultural importance, and makes recommendations as well as offers solutions for tackling various problems and phenomena.

The three main sections of the department are:

Website Section

The Website Section is responsible for maintaining the ECSSR’s comprehensive portal, through which politicians, strategists, researchers, students, and others can access an online treasure of idea repositories, as well as diverse, accurate, and updated information, data, and analysis. The Section also allows visitors to communicate ideas through forums and opinion polls as well as to read up the latest local, regional, and international developments. Center activities and publications are closely followed and updated on the site and e-commerce options are available.

Public Opinion Polls Section

The objective of this section is to evaluate public opinion trends, in addition to undertaking field surveys and studies on various domestic, regional and international issues of interest to the ECSSR. The Center provides the researchers and decisionmakers with data and findings of its surveys to enhance their ability of making decisions on systematic bases. So far the Section has undertaken several studies and surveys on local, regional and international issues.

Information Technology Section

This section provides systems and means of communication through selecting equipment and supervising its maintenance and upgrade. This is in addition to developing computer systems and programs used in the Center and keeping track of new applications available in the fields of technology and information.